1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a camera, and more particularly, to a camera finder system and related control method.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a camera finder is a device that indicates a range of an object photographed on film, and decides a position and composition of the object. Finders are classified into a (1) view finder for viewing a range of field and the position of the object, (2) a range finder-linked finder on which a range finder is mounted in the camera finder to determine visual field and control focal length, and (3) a reflex finder which confirms the range of the field of the object and controls the focal length by disposing a reflex mirror in a 45.degree. angle behind a photographic lens of the camera. The reflex finder allows light, incident through the photographic lens, to be reflected on a focusing screen located at an upper part of the photographic lens.
The above-mentioned finder device is fixedly attached to a predetermined portions of the camera to determine a range of the object. Recently, the finder device has been miniaturized consistent with the compact camera trend. With the miniaturized finder device, for the user to determine the range of the object, the user's eyes must maintain the "eye relief" from an end of the eyepiece lens of the finder device.
As such, in a conventional compact camera, the nose undesirably contacts a backcover of the camera when the user attempts to determine the composition of an object, while maintaining the eye relief through the finder. This is inconvenient for the user and makes it difficult to take the photograph quickly and accurately.
Moreover, the conventional compact camera does not allow an effective use of camera space and an effective compact camera cannot be made because an entire length of the finder system is fixed even in a zoom camera, which uses a variable magnification and concurrently operates a variable power lens of the finder system to change the magnification of the finder. Also, since the user's nose contacts the back cover of the camera to secure the eye relief when taking a photograph of an object, desirable photographing cannot be carried out and the photographic range becomes inaccurate. Further, the visual field becomes narrow and the image of the object to be photographed cannot be obtained accurately when the user leaves the eye relief to avoid nose contact on the back cover of the camera.